This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Periodontal disease: Characterization of dental pulp, with Petra Wilder-Smith, UC-Irvine The ability to monitor pulpal vitality is crucial for accurate diagnosis and optimal treatment planning. Currently, there exists no accurate means of clinically assessing pulpal health and treatment response. The aim of this study is to develop and validate a non-invasive technique for non-invasively determining pulpal blood flow. In vitro studies have shown that laser speckle imaging using a 633 nm HeNe laser can detect blood flow values within the pulpal chambers of teeth. The ability to detect and semi-quantify different flow rates in the dental pulp has been clearly demonstrated. The data show that with higher flow rates, high speckle flow values are given. We currently are performing in vivo measurements with a prototype dental LSI instrument